Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Edina

Jill Lewis / Heavy Table

When I moved to Minneapolis from Washington, DC, three years ago, I wasn’t sad to leave the traffic or the humidity or the sky-high real estate, but I was upset to move away from Five Guys. The local burgers-and-fries chain was a staple on our go-to list of fast, cheap, and delicious meals. No food in the house after returning from vacation? We’d go to Five Guys. Didn’t feel like cooking dinner? We’d go to Five Guys. Wanted to replenish the calories burned during a strenuous work-out? You get the picture. In DC, the chain is a mainstay; the First Lady even gave it a warm shout-out in a press conference yesterday.

So imagine my elation upon hearing that thanks to the wonders of franchising, Five Guys was coming to Edina. (The first Minnesota location is in St. Cloud.) Yes, those big, beefy burgers and salty hot fries would be mine once again! Of course, I had a few worries: Would it be as good as I remembered? Would the diner decor be the same? Would peanut shells cover the floor?

Jill Lewis / Heavy Table

It’s too soon for the floor to get too littered with peanut shells, but yes, the boxes of peanuts are available for munching while you wait for your order. (Note to those with peanut allergies: There is a sign clearly warning potential diners of their presence as you enter the restaurant.) The red-and-white tiled interior has made the trip from DC, too. Interestingly, so have the signs extolling the awards and praises from Washington-area media. Do Minnesotans care what Washingtonians think about burgers? They’ll have to saddle up to the counter and decide for themselves, I guess.

The friendly cashier asked if I had been to a Five Guys before, and upon answering yes, I got a high-five. He still reminded me about the difference between the regular burgers and cheeseburgers and the little versions (two patties vs. one) and pointed out the 15 free toppings (mayo, relish, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, jalapeño peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce) listed on the menu. Eager to ensure I ordered the fries I liked best, he let me sample the cajun-style variety before completing my order. Wow, Five Guys+Minnesota Nice=pretty good customer service.

As I munched peanuts and waited for food, I checked to make sure the Five Guys essentials were all present. Malt vinegar for the fries — check. Serve-yourself soda fountain — check. Oodles of napkins — check. But when my number was called just a few minutes later, I was shocked to see that the paper bag containing my dinner was grease-free. The trademark of a Five Guys meal is the grease-streaked bag that holds your order, regardless if you’re taking out or eating in. Odd.

Jill Lewis / Heavy Table

The taste, however, was utterly familiar. Five Guys prides itself on only using fresh ground beef, and the meat had a pure, almost clean mouthfeel that could never be replicated with previously frozen beef. The meat isn’t highly seasoned, so those expecting a jolt to the taste buds will likely be disappointed. The ho-hum bun quickly smushes down to a thin layer under your fingertips, too. But topped with lettuce, pickles, and ketchup, it is a good example of how a simply prepared burger can be so satisfying.

Jill Lewis / Heavy Table

The fresh-cut fries are a delight just out of the fryer – salty, steaming, and slightly oily. Eat them fast, though — once they cool, they go from marvelous to meh. The cajun flavoring offered a smoky finish but was not as spicy as I remembered it to be. Being a fry purist, though, I generally stick with the plain “Five Guys style.”

Five Guys also serves up hot dogs, grilled cheese, and veggie sandwiches, but I wouldn’t make it a destination for any of those foods. Instead, stop by when you’re craving a fresh, no-frills burger. It’s one part of Washington, DC, that I’m happy followed me to the Upper Midwest.

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About the Author

Jill Lewis

The great-granddaughter of an Eastern European Jewish baker, Jill Lewis cannot escape her genetic predisposition to carbs. Her love of baked goods, wine, cheese and chocolate may not come in handy for her day job as a Twin Cities PR professional, but it proves infinitely helpful for her gigs as a contributing writer for The Heavy Table and the co-author of the Cheese and Champagne blog. A former resident of Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin and suburban Washington, D.C., Jill now lives with her husband, two young sons and cat in St. Louis Park.

23 Comments

OMG, that sounds good! But I don’t know where that is; and when I Mapquested it, the location popped up as “unknown.” Can you give approximate location (nearest intersection or something)? What the HECK is wrong with Mapquest?!

It’s in the same shopping center as West Elm, Container Store, Leann Chin, etc. in Edina just south of Southdale Mall. If you’re driving north on France from 494, you’ll see the red Five Guys sign on the back of the building and then make the next right into the shopping center.

I went by on Saturday afternoon and the place was jam-packed. Knowing and loving FG from the east coast, I was happy to find the quality consistent with what I remember. Note that this is not a gourmet burger or a lucy; however, FG offers probably the best fast food burger and fries around and the prices are consistent with that market. Tasty.

I would love to see a FG occupy the space vacated by Burrito Loco in Uptown (Lagoon and Hennepin). Not much room for sit down, but the few tables there would be adequate and they would certainly get more than enough take out business, not to mention the late night weekend crowd.

I’m not a vegetarian and I’ve eaten these crapburgers. You like to eat crap? Eat it up pal.

Enjoy the hell out of your substandard fast food shitmeal, losers. Funny how you think that anyone with good taste must be a “liberal”. Must mean that conservatives like to eat shit and boast about how “good” it tastes. Don’t get any of that bag grease on your Lexus’ leather upholstery!

I’m not sure what stonebummer has against five guys. Fresh ground burgers cooked to order and handcut fries seem like a winner to me. I’m from virginia and just stumbled across a 5guys in st. Cloud. Good service, good burgers, and some of the best fries around. Who insults people for liking a restaurant? An angry little man with a misplaced superiority complex built apparently on his amazing taste in food. When everyone else likes something but you, chances are you’re the one with no taste. Its fine that you dont like it, but thats no excuse for being a pretentious douche towards everyone else.

I had to try it, because it’s all the rage, and someone else was buying… But c’mon, $11 for a so-so burger, super salty fries, and small soft drink, definitely not a bargain fast food! Yes, it was seriously greasy, certainly nothing special, plus the fries were way way way over-salted… not that impressed at all. I don’t really see the big deal, so yes sheeple, I tend to mostly agreed with stonebummer.

But eat what you want, I guess it’s mostly about self-respect. You take your chances though, every single one of these burger places try to keep the truth about e coli and all that hushed up, but it’s pretty gross. I’m not even going to get into the massive eco-effects of all these farting, belching cows and farm run-off, yadda yadda yadd. Or just the general health effects either. Bottom line, is that nobody with any self-respect eats at McD’s or BK or In&Out or CarlJr or 5Guys or Jack or any of that shit more than once in a rare while. But again, you’re taking your chances short-term and it’s going to kill you eventually, that is if you don’t get run over by some maniac driver too busy scarfing burgers to pay attention… Might as well just put a shotgun in your mouth and pull the trigger. God save us all.

Five Guys is just another plain hamburger. There wasn’t any taste. Where were these surveys done; on the East coast, where Five Guys was formed. In and Out is much better tasting, so it MCDON’s arches. Burger Jones tastes a litte better, but not much taste either. Smashburger blows all competition away. Smashburger has great taste. Yes, Smashburger has a particular taste. So does Red Robin and Culvers.